Monday, March 28, 2011

Kirsten O'Hara, use to consider herself a non-crafter. "As a young adult," she says, "I lacked the patience to carry anything through to a quality finish. I was bursting with ideas, but I was so focused on getting to the end that I rushed through the process. I always ended up with a rotten product."

Still, she had an unexplainable urge to create.

Nearly eleven years ago, on their first anniversary, she and her husband were downtown shopping plaza. He offered to buy her any ONE thing. Intimidated by the vastness of choice, she asked him, instead, to take her to Wal-Mart. She wanted a new hobby, and came home with a pair of knitting needles.

"...Hey, I'm a simple girl. It was probably his greatest gift to me. I haven't put the needles down since. Through knitting, I have learned both patience and a love of the art. I love the colors of the yarn. I love the texture as it slips over my fingers. I love the rhythm in the clicking motions. "

"I have learned to love the process. Knitting gives me the chance to sit, ponder, reflect and refresh. It relaxes me. It fulfills me, and I am now happy to create ... and create and create and create."

Kristen's shop, aLittleHomie, specializes in ready-made hand knit creations and knitting kits. She is currently running a special on her washcloth knitting kits, free shipping to the US and Canada, plus 10% off the kit price! See her shop listings for details on how to get the discount. If you're not a knitter, you can purchase Kristen's ready-made sets of 6 hand knit washcloths. They come in a beautiful array of colors and make an excellent Mother's day or baby shower gift.

You can learn more about Kristen and her creative process on her blog.

Monday, March 21, 2011

The past 6 months have been an exciting time for Diane of SouthHouseBoutique, as she and her burlap and chalkboard fabric creations have been featured in magazine after magazine.

Last summer she was contacted by the fine folks at Better Homes & Gardens to participate in their 2010 Holiday Crafts issue along with many other talented well known Etsy Sellers. "I think it is quite a testament to the Etsy community of designers, artists and craftsmen, that 21 out of 37 designers featured in Holiday Crafts 2010 have Etsy shops. For such a recognized design authority as BH&G to so extensively use Etsy as a resource speaks volumes," Diane said.

BH&G featured her Christmas stockings, a sophisticated classic that has become one of South House Boutiques signature holiday offerings. But stockings aren't all South House Boutique offers. With a focus of burlap, ticking and chalk cloth, Diane masterfully combines unique fabrics to create enlivening home decor accessories and gifts: Table runners, organizing bins, labels, wine bottle bags, and more.

This unique set of offerings, coupled with excellent photography and well written descriptions (as well as impeccably created items) has lead Diane's shop to be discovered by big names like BH&G, Food & Wine, The Knot and Amy Atlas, with more features in the works! When asked how they found her, she replied, "They found me through my Etsy shop. They contacted me through a very common convo."

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Our team isn't just about the created, the hand crafted, the handmade. We have a growing number of members who have a love, a passion, and a well trained eye for all things vintage. If you have a soft spot for vintage jewelry, clothing, accessories, or home goods you'll want to check these shops and others often, so beautiful treasures don't slip through your fingers.